Shao Kahn's Last Stand
by TK Tiger
Summary: What happened to each fighter during Shao Kahn's invasion of the Earth Realm
1. Default Chapter

Mortal Kombat  
Shao Kahn's Last Stand

  
  
**Prologue**  
Life had treated Liu Kang with much adventure since he won the tournament of Mortal Kombat. The monks had given him a welcome worthy of a king as he returned with the remained of Earth's fighters. The day was a double celebration since it was the first time a member of the Lin Kuei had ever been allowed entrance in to the Temple of the Order of Light. Sub Zero looked around his surroundings; he was very impressed by them.   
"Such a beautiful temple," he commented quietly. Liu just smiled and nodded gently.   
"Where are the press?" Came a voice. Everyone looked around to find Johnny Cage looking most upset. "Where are the cameras, the lights, the fans all wanting my autograph?"   
"This isn't America, Johnny." Sonya pointed out calmly.   
"I know, but these people read the papers don't they? They must know who I am."   
Laughing and shaking his head, Liu went to meet up with the head of the temple, his grandfather. Upon meeting, they exchanged bows then clasped each other in a long embrace. A great weight finally lifted from the young fighter's shoulders. His elders were pleased, and everything was going to be all right.   
"You did well Liu," a familiar voice disturbed the pair and they turned around to greet the latest arrival to the temple.   
"I couldn't have done it without you Raiden."   
"Nonsense," the God laughed, "I didn't exactly fight for you did I? It was you who beat Goro and you who managed to defeat Shang Tsung."   
"What will happen to Shang?" Liu asked, slightly concerned about any plans of vengeance the sorcerer may have.   
"Shao Kahn will probably take his life," Raiden replied. "To loose to another human is nothing, but Shang lost the Earth Realm and for that Kahn will want his head."   
After that, nothing more was said on the matter. A while passed and it seemed everything had returned to normal until Princess Kitana managed to send a message to Liu in a dream. Not understanding his dream, the fighter called upon the help of Raiden to see if the pair of them had any idea. The thunder God knew all too well what the dream was about – Shao Kahn had called for a re-match. In Outworld. As the champion of Mortal Kombat, Liu Kang didn't really have much of a choice and so he joined Raiden in the battle. The thunder God had been given a personal invite from Shang Tsung himself to join so long as he posed as a mortal. This meant giving up his immortality although he was allowed to keep his powers for this journey in to Outworld only, after all he had a realm to help defend and this was no ordinary battle. All the Earth fighters found themselves grouped together with a bunch of new friends.   
"You will never win!" Kahn had mocked as Liu and the Earth Realm fighters had battled their way through the Outworld fighters, turning some against their ruler. Shang Tsung had again been defeated but this time it was all part of the plan. While everyone was busy with Kahn, Shang had taken a portal back to Earth and planted a very special surprise in the Middle East. With his evil deed done, Shang returned to the latest combat only to watch Kahn throw the fight and loose. Banished from Edenia, Kahn retreated in to the depths of his Outworld and awaited the time for his next move.   
Just as before, Liu was classed as a hero, and everything was good. Joining with a monk named Kung Lao, Liu attempted to restart the White Lotus Society in an effort to train new fighters to compete in Mortal Kombat should Kahn ever attempt to re-take the Earth Realm. Peace was not to last for long however as Kahn's plan matured. Kahn had been forced to wait for too long to Earth Realm through tournament battle, it was time to take his kingdom by force. 


	2. The White Lotus

**Chapter: The White Lotus**   
"Woah, Liu," screamed Kung Lao as his training partner annihilated a training dummy with a well-placed jumping kick to fireball combination. "These dolls are not in infinite supply you know! Take it easy."   
"If only I could take it easy," Liu replied. "Shao Kahn could do anything, his banishment from the realm of Edenia could lead him to form another attack on the Earth Realm at any moment. I'll work on making some slightly more fire-proofed dummies in the morning."   
"You'd better," Kung Lao grinned as he helped a couple of monks extinguish the smouldering opponent. "They don't call this the Temple Of The Order Of Light from all the fireballs you throw around you know."   
The pair laughed, although it was a slightly uneasy laugh. They both knew Liu was right and an angered Shao Kahn is a dangerous Shao Kahn. Still, they had to focus on the job in hand and attempt to reform the long disbanded White Lotus society before Kahn struck. Together, they left the training hall and walked the seemingly endless maze of corridors to the prayer room. Lighting all the candles using the torch hung on the side of the room, the pair sat back to back and offered their own silent prayers to the Elder Gods. As they preyed, a strong breeze entered the room and with one giant cold blast it had plunged the room in to darkness, blowing out all the candles in a sinister fashion. The eyes of both fighters snapped open simultaneously, each wanting to see who had disturbed them. They found no one.   
"Odd," Kung Lao mused quietly.   
"No draught normally gets in here," Liu muttered. "Some thing isn't right."   
"You're darn right about that!"   
With a small gasp of surprise, the pair spun around to face the voice. A concerned Raiden looked back at them.   
"You must stop doing that to us," Liu complained.   
"What, and miss the look on your faces?" Raiden replied, half jokingly.   
"Very funny, thunder God," Kung Lao said, semi-sarcastically. "What's the problem? What 'isn't right'?"   
"Kahn is preparing another attack on Earth," Raiden announced, going very serious again. "This time, he has had help and not even the Elder Gods can stop this attack from happening."   
A look of horror flashed across the faces of the two Earth Realm fighters.   
"You mean all of what we did in Mortal Kombat means nothing?" Kung Lao eventually asked.   
"This can't be!" Liu growled. "I won the tournament, in both the normal tournament and in the Outworld. Victory was supposed to seal the portal to Earth for another generation."   
"Well, this time the portal is going to open and stay open," Raiden replied. "The Outworld tournament was nothing but a diversion. Shang Tsung has been even more scheming that I would have given him credit for."   
"What do you mean?" Liu asked, beginning to loose the ability to stay calm.   
"Shao Kahn as a right to enter Earth Realm. He also has the right to let anyone he chooses come and go as he pleases. The Earth is his for the taking unless you stop him."   
"Shao Kahn does not have a right to enter Earth Realm." Kung Lao argued. "The Elder Gods decreed that should he try to enter the portal, he would be destroyed."   
"That was until Shang Tsung entered Earth Realm and planted Sindel's spirit in to an Earth child. Now the child has grown, Kahn has the right to enter Earth Realm and reclaim his queen."   
Liu and Kung Lao shared the same look of a mixture of horror combined with disgust.   
"In doing so," Raiden continued, "he can also bring in a whole army of fighters and take every human soul for his own."   
"With that much power..." Liu started.   
"He would be unstoppable." Raiden finished for him. "I have appealed to the Elder Gods and I can save the souls of but a few fighters, however I am unable to save lives. If Kahn enters the Earth Realm I shall loose my powers and my immortality, the Elder Gods have decided that this time I am too important to sacrifice. I am being banished to an unknown realm until the battle is either won or lost. I have little time to gather a team of fighters together who have the potential to stop Kahn. I have chosen a piece of sacred ground in North America for you all to gather since I predict that here at the temple will be the first place Kahn will look for you."   
"How long have we got until his invasion?" Liu Kang asked, hoping he would have enough time to prepare a small army of fighters before the attack.   
"I don't know. Not long so hurry and get to America before it's too late." Was the reply he did not want to hear and he wished Raiden hasn't said it.   
"I'll see what else I can find out for you and let you both know," Raiden shouted as his two friends went to gather some supplies. "Remember to trust your dreams and never to give up hope." With that, the thunder God vanished as silently as he had arrived.   
"Have to hand it to Raiden," Kung Lao commented. "When he comes bearing news, it's always bad."   
"Not always bad," Liu said, trying to put a happy face on things. "At least we know our souls are protected from Kahn and his schemes."   
"But our lives are not!"   
"Which is why we have to hurry," Liu replied, determined not to argue with his Shaolin friend. "We have to get to America, and fast."   
"Looks like we'll get to face our old buddy Shao Kahn in Mortal Kombat yet again then." Kung Lao muttered.   
"Only this time, it will be the last time." Liu vowed. "It's time to stop Shao Kahn, for good. 


	3. Headquarters

**Chapter: Headquarters**   
"You can not make me!" It was a scream that had echoed from the Lin Kuei headquarters ever since Sub Zero's return from Outworld. "I will not allow it."   
"Face it Sub Zero," the reply had always been, "we own you. We can do what we like and once the work is complete on Cyrax and Sektor we shall begin work on the rest of you."   
"You have no respect for your fighters, do you?" Smoke, a fellow Lin Kuei ninja, always asked to take the attention away from Sub Zero.   
"Aren't you tired of this same old routine yet?" The Lin Kuei masters would always ask, "our minds are made up and there is no changing it. The future is in the machine so we are converting you all to Cyber-Ninja so you had better get used to the idea. Unless, of course, you wish to challenge us in battle and die instead."   
"A move which would cost you two of your best fighters," Sub Zero retaliated. His masters were quick to cut him down.   
"There are plenty of other people willing to step in to your shoes, Sub Zero. You are not the only one who can control the ice element you know. Lest we forget your brother killed in the tournament of Mortal Kombat."   
Sub Zero silenced and bowed in both submission to his masters and respect for his brother. His elder brother was last seen in a battle against an undead fighter known as Scorpion. Unlike his brother, Scorpion was seen again in the Outworld tournament. It was presumed that Scorpion had killed Sub Zero in vengeance for his own death at the hands of the Lin Kuei fighter many years before.   
"I shall expect you two in the parade hall at dusk," the Master said, turning to address Smoke as well as Sub Zero. "I have a couple of new moves I wish to instil in to each of you before you're automated."   
"Yes Master," the pair replied as the masters left the room.   
"I'd like to see some machine master the arts of the ice." Sub Zero complained when he was sure the coast was clear.   
"No doubt they'd use some cheap mechanics and a water tank," guessed Smoke. Sub Zero turned and shrugged. "I do know one thing though," Smoke continued, "we have to get out of here."   
"I couldn't agree more." Sub Zero was short on this answer as he looked around the room for a possible escape route. "Question is, when will we get the chance."   
"Tonight."   
Smoke looked around to make sure there was no one else around before he closed the large wooden doors, bolting them from the inside. Walking up close to the ice ninja, Smoke talked in a low voice.   
"Once the master has finished with us there will be a great feast as we both know. It's when he's showing off Cyrax and Sektor to the entire clan. This means that there will only be the minimum two guards at he door. I'm more than confident we can beat them and escape in to the night."   
"We'll be missed. Aren't we due for automation once the meal has ended?" Sub Zero talked in the same low tones that the grey ninja had spoken to him in.   
"No, we're part of the second group," Smoke replied, "I was spying around and found the plans for the automation process. The first group are being automated as punishment."   
"Punishment?" Sub Zero cut in.   
"We are not the only ones who do not want the Lin Kuei to automate their fighters." Smoke answered. "We're only the most vocal. There have already been attempts to sabotage Cyrax's programming. Those responsible have been found out and although they don't know it yet, they are going to be automated first."   
"So why are they sparing us?" Sub Zero asked, as it was something he couldn't fathom. Smoke shrugged.   
"I don't know. I assume it's because we've only argued against it and not actually acted. I guess that will change when we escape." His voice trailed off in to a minor laugh as he ended his sentence. Sub Zero nodded and went to open the doors again, in case people got suspicious.   
"Fancy a quick sparring bout before dusk?" The ice ninja asked.   
"Why not," agreed Smoke, "it will give me a chance to perfect my teleport punch before we take matters in to hand tonight."   
With that thought in mind, the two fighters battled against each other until the afternoon melted away and turned to dusk. It was at this time they were due in the parade hall to be taught their new moves by the master from whom they were planning to escape. Side by side they entered the parade hall, bowed to the master and took the first step in to their new destiny. 


End file.
